Toy jet airliner



June 9, 1964 D. A. CRANDALL TOY JET AIRLINER Filed Feb. 26, 1962 United States Patent 3,136,088 TOY JET AIRLINER Daniel A. Crantlall, New London, Conn. (Hope Valley, RI.) Filed Feb. 26,1962, Ser. No. 175,676 Claims. (Cl. 46-76) This invention relates to flying toys, and more particularly, to gas-operated jet toys.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy jet airliner that will sustain itself in flight automatically by the shifting of organic matter therewithin.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy jet airlines that will be useful in teaching the principles of flight in heavier than air craft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy jet airliner that is amusing, recreational, and also useful in conveying the thought on the principle concerning reaction force that is a result of jet engines.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a toy jet airliner that is controllable along its pitch axis by the shifting of sand or water from one compartment to a smaller compartment, giving mechanical rotation up or down to the aircrafts horizontal stabilizers.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a toy jet airliner, bearing the above objects in mind, which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, comprising the present invention, shown partly broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the aircraft, shown in section, and in elevation;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the lines 3-3 of FIG- URE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the empennage of the aircraft.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a toy jet airliner 10, made in accordance with the present invention, is shown to include an elongated hollow tubular fuselage 12, a pair of tapered wings 14, one on either side and in full cantilever with fuselage 12. A rear empennage for controlling flight attitude consists of a pair of tapered horizontal stabilizers 16, one on either side of the rear of fuselage 12, and a vertical stabilizer 18. A tricycle landing gear 20 supports the toy jet airliner 10, and a compressed air chamber 22 is formed in the forward end of fuselage 12 by an electrical bolt head 24 behind the trailing edge of Wings 14, and a pair of hollow tubes 26 extend from compressed air chamber 22 therethrough each wing 14, and extend rearwardly of the trailing edge forming jets 28. A plurality of live rubber hollow jets 30 fit over jets 28, in an air-tight manner from pressure tank 32. A manually-operated handle, of T-shaped configuration, 34, provides compression means of air in pump 36, for filling pressure tank 32 with air, and a V-slot 38 receives therein the empennage of toy jet airliner 10, and an L-shaped latch 40 is pivotable on hinge 42 above the pressure tank 32 at the apex of slot 38, and receives in latching engagement therewith an upwardly-extending lip 44 of airliner 10. A rectangular configurated run-way 46 is fixedly secured therebeneath pressure tank 42, and extends forwardly thereof, providing run-way means for airliner 10. A pivot pin 48 provides adjustment of vertical stabilizer 18 therewithin any one of a plurality of grooves 50, providing any desired setting of turn-radius for airliner 10, while in flight. A forward compartment 52 extends downward behind bolt head 24 therewithin fuselage 12, and an opening, of circular configuration, 54, receives sand or water, and an adjustment rod 56 is received therewithin the opening 54, for adjusting the flow of sand therethrough opening 58 above the lower compartment 60. An adjustable wall 62 pivotable on pin 64, is secured to the forward end of rod 66, and secured to movable wall 68, by pins 70, therewithin compartment 72. An opening 74 in fuselage 12, provides filling means for compartment 72, and is capped by a plug 76. Wall 68 is freely received therewithin upper slot 69 of compartment 72. A rearward compartment 78 is secured to compartment 72, and is filled with sand by opening 80, which is capped by plug 82, and the sand escaping from compartment 78 through opening 83 falls into pocket 84 of lever 86. The upper end of lever 86 is provided with a plurality of rearwardlyprojecing teeth 88, and is pivotable on pin 90, which is secured therewithin the fuselage 12, and the teeth 88 are in toothing engagement therewith teeth 92 of shaft 94, which is fixedly secured therebetween the horizontal stabilizers 16. A horizontal latch 96 extends forward and in engagement with teeth 92, provides securement means for stabilizer 16, by the vertical coilspring 98, which is fixedly secured therewithin opening 108 of fuselage 12. An elongated opening 102 provides escapement of excess sand from the pocket 84 of lever 86, and an upwardly and rearwardly-extending projection 104 forming a baflie prevents sand from going forward into fuselage 12. An elongated and rectangular opening 106 provides lowering landing gear 20 therethrough, and a pocket 108 on landing gear strut 110, receives sand from lower compartment 60, and strut 110 is pivotable about pin 112, which is received therethrough an upwardly-extending bracket 114, and an angularly positioned off-set strut 116, extends forward for simultaneous operation of the tricycle landing gear. Shaft 94 of horizontal stabilizer 16 is freely received therewithin opening 120 of fuselage 12.

In operation, the airliner 10 is backed into the airport pressure tank 32 until the jets 28 are tightly received therewithin the rudder extension nozzles 30, and latch 40 is pivoted down on hinge 42 until it is in latching engage- Inent therewith the lip 44 of airliner 10, thus, holding it steady. The T-shaped handle 34 of pump 36 is pushed down, in the well known manner, as often as it is necessary to build up the proper pressure in the tank 32, and the air under pressure flows through nozzles 30 and thereinto the airliner compression chamber 22. After the aforementioned is accomplished, a measured quantity of sand or water is then poured into the compartments 52, 72, and 78, through the openings 54, 74, and 80. The plugs 76, and 82, are then replaced, and latch 40 is pivoted upwardly out of engagement with the lip 44, and the airliner 10, thus, rolls forward by the principle of re-action, and when suflicient air speed is attained, it will rise, the horizontal stabilizers 16 being held at the proper angle by spring 98. Simultaneously, sand is trickling from opening 83 of compartment 78 into pocket 84 of lever 86, which will gradually rotate stabilizer 16, until they are in position for level flying. Sand is also, simultaneously, flowing from opening 58 of compartment 52, which is pre-adjusted by raising or lowering the rod 56. When enough sand has been accumulated in compartment 60, its weight urges wall 62 rearwardly, and in doing so, pivots wall 62 about pin 64, and rod 66 is urged forwardly, and wall 68 is lifted, allowing sand to compartment 72 to trickle into compartment 78, which will continue to increase the rate in pocket 84, thus, causing stabilizers 16 to pivot even further, causing the airliner 10 to descend, and sand simultaneously tricking, from compartment 60, into pocket 108, will cause landing gear 20 to gradually descend to landing position. The vertical stabilizer is pre-adjusted before flight by pivoting upwardly with the hand, and placing it down again into any one of a plurality of angularly-positioned grooves 56.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toy jet airliner of the class described and a launching base, comprising, in combination, a fuselage, an air compression chamber carried by said fuselage, a pair of wings mounted on said fuselage, a pair of horizontal stabilizers mounted on said fuselage, a vertical stabilizer mounted on said fuselage, a plurality of compartments contained therewithin said fuselage carrying a quantity of fine sand, said launching base for said airliner having a conventional air pressure pump, an air tank in said base, means for filling said air compression chamber in said airliner with air from said air tank in said base, said air tank being pumped by said conventional air pressure pump having air cylinder and piston means secured thereto said tank, and means to operate said horizontal stabilizers by the fine sand carried in said compartments, said fine sand trickling by gravity from said compartments to operate the aforesaid horizontal stabilizers as set forth.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein by means of the fine sand trickling by gravity from said compartments, the flight attitude along the pitch axis of said airliner is automatically controlled, said means operating said horizontal stabilizer comprising a lever hingeably held by one end to the fuselage of said airliner, a shaft in said fuselage, a gear on said shaft, said lever having a gear in mesh with the gear on said shaft, said horizontal stabilizer mounted to said shaft and being operated by said shaft when said shaft is operated by means of said hinging lever, said lever having a pocket in the opposite end thereof, said fine sand trickling from said compartments into said pocket, thus, increasing the weight of the sand trickle into said pocket to hinge said lever to operate said stabilizer by means of said gears meshing with one another, the operation upon said shaft gradually decreasing level flight attitude to a flight landing attitude of said airliner, said automatically controlled means operating independently of said air compression chamber in said airliner.

3. A combination, according to claim 2, wherein in said dual compartment said sand urging against said wall rearwardly of said forward compartment, trickles into an air pocket of substantially angular configuration formed in said wall on a landing gear strut of said airliner, thus, gradually lowering said landing gear through a substantially elongated slot therebeneath and therethrough said fuselage of said airliner, and said forward end of said landing strut being secured to a second forward and central landing gear strut, which is simultaneously operated said forward and central landing gear strut being secured to hinge in the forward section of the fuselage of said airliner.

4. A combination, according to claim 3, wherein said fuselage has a plurality of openings therethrough in the underside thereof, said openings allowing for the escape of said sand, and said fuselage having a rearward slot of substantially rectangular and elongated configuration having an upward and forwardly-located projection forming a bafile, said baffle being an integral part of the underside of said fuselage, said bafile preventing any sand from going forward thereof said pocket of said lever.

5. A combination, according to claim 4, wherein said first landing gear strut, above the first said elongated slot in said fuselage, is supported by vertically-extending bracket means therebehind the leading edge of said slot, and a pivot pin transverses said bracket means in said first landing gear strut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,732,657 Krautkramer Jan. 31, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 712,551 Great Britain July 28, 1954 161,579 Australia Mar. 1, 1955 

1. A TOY JET AIRLINER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED AND A LAUNCHING BASE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FUSELAGE, AN AIR COMPRESSION CHAMBER CARRIED BY SAID FUSELAGE, A PAIR OF WINGS MOUNTED ON SAID FUSELAGE, A PAIR OF HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS MOUNTED ON SAID FUSELAGE, A VERTICAL STABILIZER MOUNTED ON SAID FUSELAGE, A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS CONTAINED THEREWITHIN SAID FUSELAGE CARRYING A QUANTITY OF FINE SAND, SAID LAUNCHING BASE FOR SAID AIRLINER HAVING A CONVENTIONAL AIR PRESSURE PUMP, AN AIR TANK IN SAID BASE, MEANS FOR FILLING SAID AIR COMPRESSION CHAMBER IN SAID AIRLINER WITH AIR FROM SAID AIR TANK IN SAID BASE, SAID AIR TANK BEING PUMPED BY SAID CONVENTIONAL AIR PRESSURE PUMP HAVING AIR CYLINDER AND PISTON MEANS SECURED THERETO SAID TANK, AND MEANS TO OPERATE SAID HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS BY THE FINE SAND CARRIED IN SAID COMPARTMENTS, SAID FINE SAND TRICKLING BY GRAVITY FROM SAID COMPARTMENTS TO OPERATE THE AFORESAID HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AS SET FORTH. 